Automatic railway-gate.



H. GORMLEY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1a, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR Ho rw/ G or m [22/ WITH/E8858 ybm A TTOR/VEVS H. GORMLEY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY18,1013.

Patented May 12, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR Harry Gorm Iey ATTORNEYS WITNESSES H. GORMLEY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 18, 1913.

1,096,71 1. Patented May12,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3,

WH 8858 '6! INVENTOH Hdrr/ @onmle// fi By M ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOORAWI (0,. WASHINUTON. D. c.

HARRY GORMLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-GATE.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed July 18, 1913. Serial No. 779,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY GonMLnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough'of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Railway- Gate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to automatic railway gates, and has reference more particularly to automatic gates in which use is made of a liquid transmission, so as to form hydraulically operated gates.

The device comprises a pair of intercommunicating cylinders of different diameters filled with liquid, each provided with a plunger, the larger cylinder being adapted to be engaged by a vehicle moving on the track and the smaller cylinder being connected with the gates and whereby a small displacement of the plunger inthe large cylinder produces a greater displacement of the smaller plunger in the smaller cylinder, and whereby the gates are operated.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and inexpensive automatic railway gate mechanism in which the gates are lowered slowly when a train approaches a crossing, which cannot be reopened until the train has passed a predetermined point on the track, and in which the crossing is provided with two sets of gates each operable independently by trains moving in opposite directions on different tracks.

The invention consists of the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and fully set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a crossing on tracks provided with an embodiment of myinvention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4-4, Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a transverse, horizontal section on line 55, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail structure of the bell mechamsm; Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7, Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8, Fig. 4; and Fig. 9 is a diagrammatical section on line 99, Fig. 1.

Before proceeding to a detailed descriptlon of my invention, it must be clearly understood that while my device is intended principally for use on railway tracks, the same may be applied to any track structure.

Referring to the drawings, 9 represents a railway track the crossing of which is protected by gates 10 and 11 respectively. The gates 10 are operated by the mechanism inclosed in box 12, while the ates 11 are operated by the mechanism inc osed in box 13. Each of the boxes 12 and 13 is provided with a pair of smaller cylinders 14 and 15 respectively, the cylinders 14 and 15 communieating by means of tubes 16 and 17 with cylinders 18 and 19 respectively. The cylinders 18 and 19 are of similar structure and are larger than the cylinders 14 and 15. The cylinders 18 and 19 each receive a piston 20 to which is attached a link 21 pivotally connected to one end of an arm 22, the other end of which is pivotally secured to a bracket 23 secured to the ties of the track. A spring member 24 is bearing on the track near the link and engages the arm 22, tending normally to force the end of the arm where the link is provided above the track 9.

Each of the cylinders 14 and 15 in the boxes 12 and 13 are provided with massive plungers 25 and 26 respectively. Chains 27 are secured at one end to the plungers 25, while the opposite end of these chains carry counterwcights 28 with the chain engaging a sprocket 29 loosely mounted on a shaft 30 provided in the casings 12 and 13. Integral with the sprocket 29 is a plate 31 on which is mounted a pawl 82 engaging a ratchet 33 keyed on the shaft 30. The plunger 26 is provided also with a chain 34 similar to the chain 27 and carrying similarly a counterweight 35. The chain 34 engages also a sprocket wheel 36 loosely mounted on the shaft 30 and integral with the plate 37 similarly provided with a pawl 38 and engaging a ratchet 39 keyed to the shaft 30. The pawls 32 and 3S and the corresponding ratchcts 83 and 39 are so formed that when the plunger 25 moves downward it will rotate the shaft 30 in one direction, and when the plunger 26 goes downward it will rotate the shaft 30 in the opposite direction.

Each of the chains 27 is provided with lugs 27 adapted to engage the end 75 of each of the )awls 32 and 38 respectively. These lugs 2 throw in or out of engagement the pawls with the corresponding ratchets is a cogwheel 4O meshing with the pinion 41 and keyed to a shaft 42 which is mounted to rotate in each of the casings and 13. Each of the shafts 42 carries also a 'keyed cogwheel 43 meshing with the pinion 44 which is keyed to a conntershaft 45 provided in each of the casings 12 and 13. One end of these countershafts 45 projects out of the casings and thereon is provided with a cross-member 46 which when rotated actuates the lever 47 mounted on said casings and adapted to strike a bell 48. Each of the shafts 42 also carry a worm 49 which engage a worm wheel 50 secured to a shaft 51 one end of which projects out of the 13631366. tive casings. The end of the shaft project'- ing out of the casing 12 engages one of the gates 10, while the end of the shaft 51 projecting out of the casing 13 engages one of the gates 11. Rigidly secured on the shafts 51 within the respective casings is a sprocket wheel 52, which is connected by means of an endless chain 53 to a sprocket 54 secured to a horizontal shaft 55 passing across below the tracks. The shaft 55 adjacent the sprocket 54 carries a second similar sprocket 56 which is connected by means of a horizontal endless chain 57 to a sprocket 58 secured to a shaft 59 extending to the shaft 55 under the tracks. The-shaft 59 adjacent each end carries a sprocket 60 which is located within a casing and which is connected by means of a vertical endless chain 62to a sprocket 63 secured to a stub-shaft 64 bearing in the casing 61 and carrying a cogwheel 65 meshin with the wheel 66 secured to a stub-shaft 6 one end of which projects through the casing 61 and is secured to the gates 10. The shaft 55 carries-on the other end a sprocket 68 connected with a vertical endless chain 69 to a sprocket 7O rigidly secured to a stub-shaft 71 mounted ina casing 72, similar to casing 61, inclosing the sprockets 68 and 70 with the chain 69. One end of the .stubshaft 71 projects out of the casing '72 and is secured to the adjacent gate 10.

The casing 13 has its shaft 55' passing be- 1 low the shaft 59 and it carries parts simithrough the casings 61 engage the gates 11 similar to the engagement of the stub-shaft .61 with the gates 10; also the stub-shaft 71 of the casin 72" is similarl en 'a in with 7 n D 2D 22 its gate 11, as the stub-shaft 71 of the casing 72 is connected to the gate 10. I

r The operation of my device is as follows:

The cylinder 18 is placed about a-mile from the crossing, so that when the train is com-. 7

ing in the direction shown by the arrow on Fig. 1 the locomotive, which is provided "with a shoe adapted to engag the arm will depress the arm, causlng the piston 20 to move downward, whereby the plunger 25 is forced upward, as shown in Fig. 4; This displacement will-only cause the rotation of thesprocket 29 with the plate 31. 7

As soon as the'shoe of the locomotive leaves the arm 22 the same is returned to its normal position by the spring 24. This would create a suction in the cylinder 14; and to prevent a too rapid return of the plunger j.

25, the tube 16 adjacent the cylinder 14 is provided with a check valve 73 which is provided with a very small vaperture 74 so as to retard the flow of liquid through the same and allow a slow movement downward to 1',

the plunger 25. The motion of the plunger 25 downward causes the engagement of the pawl 32 with the ratchet 33thereby rotating the shaft 30. This rotation of the shaft 30 sounds the bell 'by means of the member 46,

as previously described. The rotation of the shaft 30 causes the rotation of the worm wheel 50 and therewith the shafts 51, 55

and 59, or shafts 51, 55 and 59'-. This rotation, as shown by the arrow in Figs. 4 1

and 7, will lower the gates 10 or 11, according to which track the train is comingon. As the train passes the crossing, it again engages the arm 22 provided for the cylinder 19. The displacement of this arm forces the i plunger 26 upward, as shown in Fig. 4 for the plunger 25. This movementof the pis 'ton only causes'the rotation of the sprocket of the plunger "causes the rotation of the shaft 30, as described for the plunger 25,

and thereby causing the rotationrof thev worm wheel in a direction opposite to what it was rotated when the plunger. 25 was moved, thereby restoring the gates to an open position. It is understood that the cylinder 19 is placed a short distance from the crossing, soas to open the gates as soon as the last-car passes the crossing.

Having thus described my invention, TI r claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Incombi-nation with a-railwaytrack, a gate mechanism for the track comprising gates, a shaft, ratchets on said shaft, sprockets loosely mounted on the-shaft, a pa'wl on each of the sprockets adapted to engage the corresponding ratchet, hydraulic means controlling the rotationof said sprockets by gravity and adapted to be actuated by a vehicle moving on the track, and means conneeting said shaft with said gates whereby the same are operated when said shaft is rotated.

2. In combination with a railway track, a gate mechanism for the track comprising gates, a shaft, ratchets on said shaft, members loosely mounted on the shaft, a pawl on each of the members adapted to engage the corresponding ratchet, gravity means for Copies of this patent may be obtained for controlling the movement of said members and adapted to be actuated by a vehicle moving on the track, and means connecting the shaft with the gates and whereby the same are operated when the said shaft is actuated.

I11 testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY GORMLEY.

Witnesses:

Bummer J orrn, PHILIP D. ROLLIIAUS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

